Tucson Man Convicted of 1998 Child Sexual Abuse

Tucson Man Convicted of 1998 Child Sexual Abuse

TUCSON, AZ—Yesterday, Christopher James Preston, 48, of Tucson, Ariz., a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, was found guilty of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child by a federal jury. The case was tried before U.S. District Judge James A. Soto on Aug. 10-18, 2015. Preston is being held after trial and is set for sentencing on Oct. 26, 2015.

The evidence at trial showed that in the summer of 1998, Preston sexually abused the minor victim on the Tohono O’odham reservation. At the time, Preston was the victim’s little league coach.

A conviction for aggravated sexual abuse of a child carries a maximum penalty of lifetime incarceration.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Tohono O’odham Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Matthew C. Cassell and Rui Wang, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.